Thursday, March 28, 2024 | Ramadan 17, 1445 H
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EDITOR IN CHIEF- ABDULLAH BIN SALIM AL SHUEILI

Facebook to roll out new tools to tackle fake news

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WASHINGTON: Facebook Inc said it will introduce tools to prevent fake news stories from spreading on its platform, an about-face in response to rising criticism that it did not do enough to combat the problem during the lead-up to the US presidential election.


The social network company has faced controversies throughout the year that involve its monitoring and policing of content produced by its 1.8 billion users. It stressed that the new features are part of an ongoing process to refine and test how it deals with fake news.


Facebook said users will find it easier to flag fake articles on their News Feed as a hoax, and that it will work with organisations such as fact-checking website Snopes, ABC News and the Associated Press to check the authenticity of stories.


If such organisations identify a story as fake, Facebook said, it will get flagged as “disputed” and be linked to the corresponding article explaining why. The company said disputed stories may appear lower in its news feed, adding that once a story is flagged, it cannot be promoted. The new tools come weeks after Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg said it was a “crazy idea” that fake or misleading news on Facebook helped swing the election in favour of Republican Donald Trump. — Reuters


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